Lock nut



Jan. 19, 1937. A STOLL 2,068,613

LOCK NUT Filed" July 8, 1935 Patented Jan. 19, 1937 PATENT OFFICE LOCKNUT Albert Stoll, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Clare L. Brackett, Detroit,Mich.

Application July 8, 1935, Serial No. 30,360

Claims.

This invention relates to ,lock nuts and aims to provide novel andeficient means by which the nut is held firmly in place against thecontrary influences incident to use.

More particularly, a nut embodying the invention will be found to have aplurality of approximately radial slotsopening out through the upper endor crown of the nut and the peripheral walls thereof to form an annularseries of segmental locking sections for pressure engagement with thethreaded member embraced thereby and the base portions of such lockingsections will be found to have external cuts or grooves adding to theresiliency of the'locking sections and thus allowing the same to havefull pressure engagement with the adjacent portion of the associatedthreaded member, the location of the external cuts or grooves in thebase portions of the segmental locking sections being such that the samemay be formed purely as an incident to the manufacture of the nutwithout increasing the cost of manufacture and without an appreciableweakening of the points of connection of the locking sections with thebody of the nut.

By way of further brief preliminary reference to the locking sectionsconstituting the crown of the nut, it is pointed out that the upper orouter terminal portions thereof are externally chamfered or cut away tofurther add to the resiliency of such locking sections in order that thesame might have the desired restraining action with the threaded memberof whatever nature the latter happens to be.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved nut, partly in section,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the nut, partly in longitudinal section,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the nut,

Figure 4 is a perspective of the nut, partly in section, V

Figure 5 is an end view, partly in section, of the nut duringthe'process of manufacture, the view illustrating the means by which thenut is externally relieved or grooved at circumferentially spaced pointsto diminish the cross-sectional areas of the base portions of thelocking sections of the nut and thus add to the resiliently of theseparts,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the nut in one step of manufacture, thisview also illustrating the means by which the nut is externally groovedor cut at the base portions of the locking sections thereof,

Figure '7 is a side elevation-disclosing a con- 5 ventional nut and oneof the forming tools therefor.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of iilustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 generallydesignates 10 the body of a hexagonal or other nut, the same beingformed with a longitudinal bore 8 having conventional screw threads formating engagement with a threaded male member of any type.

The hexagonal nut 5 is shown in Figure 4 to have a plurality of radialslots I 0 opening out through the crown or upper end of the nut and outthrough the peripheral walls thereof to define an annular series ofinherently resilient, complemental, segmental, radially located, lockingsections l2 for pressure engagement with the associated threaded member,of whatever nature the latter happens to be. It is illustrated in Figure2 that the crown portion of the nut is compressed or directed inwardlysomewhat to constrict the outer portion of the bore to the nut so thatconcurrently with and purely as an incident to the advance of the nut onthe associated stud or the like, the segmental locking members will beforced outwardly and thus loaded for firm pressure and restrainingengagement with the threaded stud or the like.

Of course, I am awareof the fact that I am not the'first to provide apolygonal nut having a plurality of more or less spaced saw or othercuts to define an annular series of segmental locking members, but I dobelieve that I am the first to provide such an arrangement in which thebase portions of the segmental locking sections are formed withcircumferentially spaced grooves or indentations l4 diminishing thecross sectional areas of. these locking sections or members at thepoints where the same join the body of the nut and to cause such groovesor indentations to terminate short of the slots between the lockingmembers.

That is to say, the circumferentially spaced grooves M will be found tobe uniformly spaced between the radial side walls of the locking membersl2 and to break through the outer corners of such locking members togive to the locking members the resiliency so necessary for effectiverestraining action of the same with the associated stud or otherthreaded member.

It is clearly illustrated in Figure 1 that the cs 1 tool 20 is providedwith a cuttingtooth'or porgrooves ii I are in those parts .of thelockingniembers I 2 having-the greatest radial'dimensions and *inthisway-the circ nn ferential grooving of the nut'leaves undiminished theinitial minimum ra-- .dialdimensions of the locking members. i Inother"words, even after the members 12 have been cir- .-culnf.erentiallygrooved ati' the center corner por- I tions thereof "and at pointsspaced uniformly inward of the radial sidewalls thereof, the greatestraal'alnnne sio Ora particular'locking member is "through "thecircumferentially grooved. portion thereof. This is an importantconsideration because it avoids apossiblyfatal weakening of the lockingmember.

vl inggrooves-{M breakthroughthe centrally located outside'cornerportions of the locking mem- More specifically,v thecircumferentiallyextendbei's 12 and diminish in depth toward the ends thereof andterminate shortof the slots Ill, leaving uncut substantial'portions ofthe outside walls 0f. the nut, g

This important aspect of my invention prompts 1 me to; further explainthat the segmental locking members l2 are formed with outside angularcorners at points midway of the radial edges of the locking members andit is at these outside corners that the nicks or grooves l4 occur to addto-the resiliency of. the locking members lZwlthout an appreciableweakening of the connection of the same with the body of the nut.

' In Figure 4, it is illustrated that the upper or outer terminal.portions of the segmental locking members it are externally chamferedto reduce the cross-sectional areas of such locking members as the sameapproach the crown of the nut so asto further add to the resiliency of.the locking members. In other words, the external 'chamfer reduces thewall thickness of the locking members from points adjacentthe grooves.I4 tothe top of the nut toaugment the resiliency of the locking 1members.

'scribed, it will be seenthat in a polygonal nut made in accordancewith-this invention, the ra- V formed,

In summarizing the invention as thus far de-,

dial cuts l il'open out through the fiat faces thereof andat uniformlyspaced points between the corners of the nut, to define an annularseries of inherently resilient,- individually acting, locking membersfor pressure engagement with a threadedstudor the like and that at theoutside corner portions of the locking members thus there arecircumferentially spaced grooves terminating short of the said radialcuts and produced without an appreciable increase in cost of manufactureand augmenting the resiltion 30 for cutting or grooving engagement withthe corner portions of the nut at the points where the locking memberslljoint the body of the nut.

It is in this way that the grooves or relief cuts I I are formed inthe'nut purely as an incident to manufacture and without adding to thecostof the nut, because no additional operations are required for theforming of the circumferentlally spaced grooves and while there may besome very j. 2,068,618 r I g t "slight. additional cost of the formingtool 26, due to the presence of the additional cutting portion or tooth30,,this is .negl'igiblegand is not discernible in the cost of the nutswhen made on a large production basis.

I Referring now to Figure 2, it will be seen that the bore 8 of the nuthas the inner terminal portion thereof formed with a decided chamfer orflare 34 at anacute angle-to the longitudinal axis of the nut so as tospace this part of the nut from engagement with the work and thus lookto a firm pressure engagement of the surrounding peripheral portion ofthe nut with the work and at the same time produce a more effectivecantilever action by which the locking members I! are forced radiallyinward into restraining relation with the stud or the like However, itis important to observe that the accentuated chamfer 34 leaves amplebearing area for the nut and does not render the nut prone to pancakingor spreading under pressure, such as would be the case were the baseportion of the nut lacking in uniform pressure engagement with the workor were the base portion of the nut deprived of the major portion of thebearing surface thereof. By leaving a generous and unbroken circulararea of the nut available for pressure engagement with the work, the nutis characterized by an absence of sharp corners which would be likely tocut into the work producing chips and, in general, damaging the surfaceagainst which the nut is clamped.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed'is: 1. In a nut, ahexagonal body having a pluralityv of external flat faces and cornerportions at the meeting points of said faces, said body also beingformed with a threaded bore and with a crown, the body of the nut beingformed with radial slots opening through the bore and crown of the nutand through the flat external faces of the body at points uniformlyspaced between the point and causing the complemental threaded member toload the locking members as an incident to the advance of the nut.

2. In a nut, a polygonal body having a. plurality of external flatfaces'and corner portions at the meeting points of said faces, said bodyalso being formed wlth a threadedbore and with a crown, the body of thenut being formed with radial slots opening through the bore and crown ofthe nut and through the fiat external faces of the body at pointsuniformly spaced between the said corner portions to define an annularseries 'of segmental locking members for pressure and tending groovesdiminishing in depth toward the ends thereof and terminating short'ofthe said slots to add to the resiliency of the locking members, saidlocking members being reduced in wall thickness from points adjacentsaid grooves to the top of the nut, said locking members being. directedinward toward the longitudinal center of the bore to constrict the borein the region of the locking members.

3. In a nut, a body of polygonal cross-section and having a threadedbore, said body being pro vided with a plurality of approximately radialcircumferentially spaced slots defining an annular series of individuallocking members for threaded engagement with a complemental threadedmember, said individual locking members being increased incross-sectional area toward the longitudinal centers thereof to definecentrally located, longitudinally extending corner portions, said cornerportions being provided with circumferentially extending groovesdiminishing in depth toward the ends thereof and terminating short ofthe said slots, said locking members being directed inward at an acuteangle to the longitudinal axis of said bore to constrict the bore in theregion of the locking members andthus cause a complemental threadedmember to load the locking members as an incident to the advance of thenut.

4. In a nut, a polygonal body having .a threaded bore and a plurality ofexternal faces defining angular outside corners at the meeting points ofsuch faces, said body being provided at one end portion thereof andbetween said outside corners with radial slots definingcircumferentially spaced individual locking members for pressureengagement with a threaded member, the said outside corners being formedwith spaced circumferentially extending grooves diminishing thecrosssectional areas of the locking members at the base portionsthereof, said grooves terminating short of the said radial slots, saidlocking members being directed inward toward the longitudinal center ofthe bore to constrict the bore in the region of the locking members.

5. In a nut for threaded engagement with a complemental threa'ledmember, a hexagonal body having a plurality of external flat faces andcorner portions at the meeting points of said faces, said body alsohaving a threaded bore and a crown, the body of the nut being formedwith radial slots opening out into the bore of the nut and through theexternal flat faces of the body to define an annular series of segmentallocking members having the greatest radial dimensions at the said cornerportions thereof, said locking members being formed at the base portionsthereof and at the said points -of greatest radial dimension withcircumferentially extending grooves diminishing in depth toward the endsthereof and breaking through said corners to add to the resiliency ofsaid locking members and leaving undiminished in radial dimension theremaining portions of the locking members, said locking members beingdirected inward toward the longitudinal center of the

